Grinding his teeth, Nick went nose to nose with Marcus. “You’d better not touch my sister, Fuller.” That easily, the Phoenix wolves were at Marcus’s back.

“Nick,” Roni drawled warningly.

“I’ve seen the way you look at her, and I don’t like it. Keep this professional.”

Marcus’s smile was a pure taunt. “Since you don’t seem to have noticed, I’ll point out that Roni’s a big girl.” If the Alpha had some strange idea that Marcus would submit to him, he had to be smoking crack.

“She’s still my baby sister, and you’re not good enough for her.”

“Nick, stop it,” Roni bit out, kind of shocked that Trey wasn’t intervening to defend his enforcer and friend. But Trey didn’t seem the least bit worried for Marcus, and that was when she realized that Marcus was easily holding Nick’s gaze. Despite having a powerful Alpha threatening him, he didn’t look in the least bit rattled. There was even a little amusement there.

“There’s nothing babyish about Roni. All you’re doing by coddling her is undermining her strength. Is that really what you want to do? I have a feeling she won’t thank you for it.”

After a short, tense silence, Nick took a step back. “Remember what I said, Fuller. Keep your cock in your pants, understand?”

“I don’t know. Sounds complicated.” Marcus almost laughed at Nick’s thunderous expression, but then Roni jammed her elbow into his ribs.

“Stop making it worse,” she hissed at Marcus. “Nick, just go.”

The Alpha shot Marcus a menacing glance before spinning on his heel and marching out of the room with an amused Derren at his side.

Only then did the Phoenix wolves relax. Seeing that they were all gazing with interest at her and Marcus, she had the urge to leave the room and escape their scrutiny. So she did.

“Hey, wait.” She didn’t, but Marcus ate up the space between them in three strides. Up ahead, Nick glanced over his shoulder and slung Marcus a sneer. His wolf returned the sneer—he wasn’t a fan of the Alpha who was trying to come between him and the object of his fascination. Marcus just smiled.

In the parking area, Marcus led her over to his car and chuckled as Nick sped past them in his SUV with a glower on his face. “Personally, I think he’s warming up to me.”

Grinding her teeth, she hopped into the passenger seat. “Stop winding up my brother.”

Inside the car, he said, “I smiled at him, what’s wrong with that?”

Like she’d buy the innocent act. “He stood there threatening you, and you made it worse by poking at him.”

“I wasn’t poking at him . . . much. I was defending you.”

Yes, he had defended her. For the third time. Although Roni didn’t need anyone to speak for her, it was kind of nice that someone actually had. Kathy and Nick ganged up on her pretty often; she was used to fighting her battles alone. “I know his overprotectiveness is unnecessary and irritating, but he means well.”

“Does he?” In Marcus’s opinion, Nick’s behavior wasn’t about Roni at all.

Hearing the skepticism in his tone, she was about to question him. But then she shook her head, not wanting to get involved in male shifter games. “Look, it doesn’t matter what you think. Just stop—” She quieted when he placed a finger against her mouth.

“I’m not the enemy, Roni.” His voice was low, soft, and soothing. “Hearing people dismiss your strength pisses me off.”

“Why?”

“It hurts you. I don’t like it.” He also didn’t like that she let Nick and Kathy get away with it. She had an annoying habit of biting back what she wanted to say, and each time he saw the strain around her eyes, it made his blood boil. Hearing the crinkle of a wrapper, he tsked. “Oh no, sweetheart. Not with me, remember.”

Roni huffed and put the candy in her mouth. The asshole took it back out and dumped it in the cup holder. “Hey, stop that!”

“What do you like to do on weekends?”

The casual question made her huff again. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“Come on, Roni, what’s the harm in answering my question?” His tone was coaxing.

Exasperated, she spoke in a rush. “Nick has a huge game room with a bar, La-Z-Boys, and an Xbox. I meet the guys there most Saturday nights. On Sundays, I go for a run in my wolf form. There. Are you happy now?”

He smiled. “Ecstatic.” When they stopped at a red light, he looked at her. “Did you know we’re throwing a birthday party for Grace on Saturday night?”

“Shaya mentioned it.”

“You’re coming, right? There’ll be plenty of beer. Chicken wings. Pizza. Cake.” All things he knew Roni loved.

“I don’t like parties.” Too many people, too much pressure to seem sociable.

“But you do like chocolate fudge cake.”

There would be chocolate fudge cake? “Why didn’t you say so before?”

He chuckled, but that chuckle quickly faded because all this talking about food had created a problem. “I’m hungry.”

She snickered. “What else is new?”

Seeing a McDonald’s sign up ahead, he said, “I could really go for a burger right now.”

“We’ll eat after we’ve spoken to McGee.”

“It’s a two-hour journey. I can’t wait that long.” He pulled into the drive-through lane and came to a stop near the menu boards. “What do you want?”

She shrugged. “I’ll just have a bit of what you’re having.”

He blinked. “Um, sweetheart . . . I don’t share food.” She rolled her eyes, clearly missing how serious he was. “No, really, I don’t share food.”

Amused despite herself, Roni asked, “Not even a few fries?”

“No.”

“Not even an onion ring?”

“No.” Marcus watched as impatience flickered across her face, like she thought he was being unreasonable—now that was just unfair. “Order a meal.”

“But I’m not that hungry.”

“So order a snack.”

“Why can’t I just share with you?”

“Because I’m territorial when it comes to my food.”